


Two Presidents

by goddamnitaisha



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Evan - Freeform, Gen, Lazard Deusericus - Freeform, Mention of - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 15:42:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2817545
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goddamnitaisha/pseuds/goddamnitaisha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Engaged-to-be-married President Maxmillion Shinra discusses his role and duties as a father with his relative.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Two Presidents

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading a chapter-by-chapter summary of canon FFVII novel The Kids are Allright, centering Evan: he is President Shinra senior's son. I kept thinking of him as Lazard 2.0. I thought the family relationships were bollocks because I miss Lazard. I miss him a lot.  
> I stopped reading halfway to write the story below, in which the character relationships between Shinra and his guest are ridiculous too.  
> Humour me, and give it a chance.

- "What's so different about this one?"

The President of Shin-Ra Inc. was about to open his mouth when the waiter arrived with their drinks.

Over the table, Shinra send his companion a sharp look. _Don’t say anything._

“A coffee for the President,” the heels of the waiter clicked together as he stopped at their table. With a theatrical wave of his arm, the man put a glass down in front of the guest. “...and a Martini for you, sir. On the house, gentlemen.”

"Yes-yes, fine, thank you," the President glared him away.

The waiter vanished in the typical manner only the best restaurant staff can do. One moment the penguin was with them, the next in the crowd of guests and other waiters. Everyone wore suits anyway.

“Drinking this early on the day...” The President scoffed.

His blond companion smiled from ear to ear. "I heard your fiancée has these good habits too."

Maxmillion Shinra huffed, and his tummy bumped against the long white table cloth. He stroke his fingers over the edge of the table to still the dangling fabric, then brushed his hands over the table. He took his knife. It was polished to a shimmer, and his reflection was clear except at the parts where the metal bent into the cutting edge. 

\- "What's so special about her?"

\- "What?"

The tiny man cackled and leaned over the table. He ran his hand over his stubbly chin. "What is so different about Lilith that you're willing to give up your freedom?"

The President shrugged and avoided the gaze like a school boy. "She's rich. Her family's rich."

\- "Woo-hoo, you got ants in your pants and want to romance."

\- "Shut up." 

It caused a gasp from Cornelius. "Oooh? Is this real? You love her more than the other ones you've ever loved before? Why?"

\-  "It's business. She's a woman I can talk _with_ instead of talk to."

\-  "What a bad answer. Hah! You just like her face! I've seen pictures of her. Pretty lady, that one."

\- "She is."

\- "If you change your mind, forward her to m-."

" _That's_ why I haven't introduced you to her. Lilith is mine. All mine. And there's another reason..." He paused. "a... thing."

"I'm listening," Cornelius said.

The President glanced around, and leaned forward. His blue eyes pierced Cornelius' merry gaze, and gradually his guest lost his smile.

The silence between them started, and Maxmillian Shinra put his elbow on the table. He folded his hands, brushed his moustache against his pointer finger. 

\- "I want you to help me for the sake of the Shinra family." 

\- "And why would I help the oh-so-brilliant heir?"

\- "I'm telling you, it's for the Family. I'm regularly visiting two houses in sectors 5 and 8, and people have started noticing. _"_ _  
_

\- "So? You've never much thought of anyone that isn't a business partner. You never thought much of _me_."

\- "This isn't about you. You should've gone into business if you wanted to be of any value. Listen. I don't _care_ what the general public thinks. But I want ..."

He leaned in even more and their heads were now so close together that they were almost touching noses. They each looked at a different direction, eyes searching for eavesdroppers.

Maxmillian's hands covered his mouth, in case there were lip-readers. He had never cared about lip-readers before, but _what if_ there were lip-readers? It suddenly became one of the most dangerous threats in the restaurant. His eyes scanned the crowd, but no one was looking at him.

_Still, there could be_ _microphones_

"I want my..." he lowered his voice. "...boys to grow up in an environment where they will survive. The resemblance is already uncanny. Blonds. Both of them."

For a moment the two men looked at each other as if they saw the other for the first time. Their blonde hair, their blue eyes, both beginning to get overweight... genetics had gotten the upper hand in their family. While Cornelius' mouth moved up, President Shinra's mouth curled down. It caused Cornelius to giggle - he quickly took another sip of his drink to quiet himself.

The President began to think that the should have ordered two coffees, instead of letting his family member order for himself. Alcohol made a Shinra unrestrained. Alcohol was bad.

\- "Last week my men intercepted an assassination attempted on Lazard. If I don't do anything, then sooner or later someone will cut his throat."

\- "How old is he again?"

That made the President frown. "Don't know. The boy can barely write his own name."

\- "Who calls his child Lazard..."

Shinra glared at him.

"So what do you want me to do?" Cornelius asked, quickly changing the topic.

\- "I want you to watch over them for me. If they stay on the Plate, my visits to them will be much too public."

\- "You're gonna move them. Were, to Wutai?"

\- "Don't be daft. I want to be able to visit them, and their moms. They will be given a residence Below Plate. And you'll move with them."

Cornelius' eyes became bedroom eyes, and he smiled dreamily.

The President's voice grew razor-sharp. "If you do anything as much as _touch_ them, I will make sure the assassins find you first. You will not live with them."

\- "Then you'll have to give me enough incentive not to have them flirt with  _me._ You know how women are. Can't resist a blond." _  
_

The President let out a deep sigh. He took the spoon on the saucer and swirled the foam through his coffee until it gained a matte caramel colour. "I want a brothel." 

\- "Huh?"

He kept his eyes on the coffee. "I want you to run a brothel for me. There are a few unlawful brothels, but I want to take the concept and turn it into a profitable establishment. When my girls visit, they can relax, and you will communicate anything they require directly to me. You will protect them. You'll pay them, as if they worked a job.

"Eh he he!" His relative cackled again, and leaned back. Under the table his foot moved up to balance himself. His heel scraped the President's leg, and the President kicked right back. 

"Ow!" Cornelius laughed a wry smile and Maxmillian a cruel one.

It didn't diminish the tiny man's glee. "Clever, clever, Max! You'll be able to visit them whenever you want! In a brothel - as if they're whores!"

\- "Keep your voice down!"

Cornelius laughed again. He put the glass to his broad bottom lip. With one throw of his arm, he gulped, until he finished his Martini. He swirled the ice cubes in the glass. They clicked against each other like ricocheting pebble stones. "Should I accept, how can I disappear-?"

"At the mere mention of a brothel, the remains of the Shinra family will kick you out. You'll skip Christmas and New Years and will be ignored: but think beautiful women, money, no one to judge them, and a job you can do from your chair. If you do it right, you will be the President below the Plate in no time."

Cornelius' smile widened. "That's perfect, almost perfect..."

\- "Almost?" 

\- "I will do it, if..."

The President cut in: "I will _not_ be supplying your mako addiction. If you become dumber than you already are then you will lose your usefulness."

His guest threw him an arrogant smile. "But the slums are near the Reactors, isn't it?"

Shinra hissed through his teeth. "Fine. I will supply your addiction if you _stay away_ from the reactors: they carry the whole bloody Plate."

"I don't need you to provide me with mako. I can get it anywhere on the wall market. No, let's change it up. Supply me with plenty of mako. The brothel could become the centre of the drug and put everyone under my lead, and ta-daa. Spies! Eh he he!"

"I could look into the possibilities." The President ran his hand over his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The fact that this idiot had just come up with a working plan made him think _maybe we're family after all_ , and it was a troublesome thought. 

\- "So I will at least get a brothel?"

\- "Yes. For the girls, not for you."

"Nothing is ever for me anyway. I'm always left out. Hey. If anyone finds out you're visiting whores, it will wreck your career," Cornelius said.

-"I have influence enough to ascertain my reign without having to worry about my public image," Shinra said.

"And what about Lilith?"

President Shinra ticked the spoon against the edge of the cup. A droplet fell from the metal. The caffeine drink rippled. "She'll be fine."

\- "It would break her heart."

President Shinra pushed the full cup of coffee away. "She's tough. Kids aren't. Kids are fragile. While they'll be out there stealing apples, she'll be on a throne."

"She's the sexiest woman I have ever seen. She will break off the engagement."

"She's a good woman. She will stay. I will make her stay, and the marriage will add pressure for her to stay. She is the best woman and I expect the child I'll have with her someday to be my most qualified son for the job. The genetics are right. I am doing it _for her_. I want _her_ son of mine as my heir."

They didn't look at each other. They looked at their hands: President Shinra's pointer finger had one callous from writing too much, and one on the mouse of his thumb from writing too much; Cornelius' hands were rough all over.

"...hm," Cornelius sad. "Your marriage, not mine. I'll never marry - or, if I will, I'll marry a more docile blonde who won't rip my throat with her bare teeth."

The President lift one hand and guiltily stroke the love bite at the side of his neck. He pulled up the collar of his shirt. He smiled. "Do we have an agreement?"

Cornelius looked at the outstretched hand. "What, there is no contract?" 

The President said: "The boys don't exist on paper, so no contracts. I don't want to create traces. I threatened you with murder, Cornelius. Your word to _me_ is enough."

- "You make it sound like a gangster deal."

- "Isn't it?"

- "Well..."

\- "I am going to appear to be cheating on my future wife, will hand you a generous sum of money, you'll be assist me... and the dead don't talk nor do the living. Is the deal on?"

- "Yes, mio presidente."

Their hands clapped together in a strong grip. They shook it.

He smiled at his relative. "Thank you, don Cornelius."

- "Don... Cornelius. I like that sound."

\- "Has a exotic ring to it, doesn't it?"


End file.
